Biggest mistake for the region took place 30 years ago when there was a real opportunity to develop the former USAF base at Burtonwood as a civilian airport to serve both Manchester and Liverpool. With three runways, it was in the post-war years, the largest USAF facility in Europe. It would have been ideal as the base area was huge and new develop terminals and other facilities could have easily been developed. I seem to recall that BOAC used the field for a short time when Manchester wasn't available to them. Pity the city fathers in both LPL and MAN didn't have the foresight and courage to bury old rivalries.